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Debris found in Mozambique could belong to MH370

Days before a debris find on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion, officials began analysing debris that washed up on a beach in Mozambique.

The release of interim findings of investigators next Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the disappearance, comes as the family of the plane's senior pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, lashed at experts who have pushed the "rogue pilot" theory, saying he has been made the scapegoat.

"If you have nothing tangible, and nothing by way of evidence, it's tantamount to predicting he is guilty until proven innocent," Captain Zaharie's 72-year-old sister Sakinab Shah told The Associated Press.

Many pilots and experts have said the most logical explanation for the disappearance of the Boeing 777 with 239 people on board was that Captain Zaharie deliberately steered the plane thousands of kilometres off course before it crashed into a vast expanse of the Indian Ocean west of Australia.

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Ms Sakinab said it was "very convenient" to make Captain Zaharie the scapegoat to absolve Malaysia Airlines from claims or to divert blame from the Malaysian government and Boeing.

The first interim report into the disappearance was issued a year ago. It affirmed the family's assertion that Captain Zaharie, who was 43 at the time, had no history of apathy, anxiety or stress, and showed no sign he was likely to hijack the plane.

No significant changes to his lifestyle or family stresses had occurred and he had bank accounts, two national trust funds, two houses and three vehicles. There was no record of him having a life insurance policy, the report said.

French police officers carry the flaperon which washed up on Reunion Island in July last year. It was later confirmed to be from the missing plane. Photo: AP

"I will make an announcement once I receive it," he told the state news agency Bernama.

However, experts say that unless the plane can be found in a designated 120,000-square-kilometre area of the Indian Ocean the mystery may never be solved.

Countless theories have emerged about the fate of the plane that vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, including that it was taken by aliens, shot down by US jet fighters or stolen by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Relatives of passengers and crew members have issued an emotional plea for authorities to keep searching for the plane beyond the search's expected midyear completion date.

They have also accused the Malaysian government of legal maneuvering that could deny them compensation from the airline.

"The government is trying to protect one of its businesses instead of allowing its citizens access to justice," Grace Nathan, a Malaysian lawyer whose mother was on the plane, said. She represents Voice 370, an international support group for relatives of the victims.

Since the plane's disappearance, the Malaysian parliament has passed legislation to restructure Malaysia Airlines into a new entity, Malaysia Airlines Berhad.

Voice 370 said in a statement that as all monies, assets and the airline business have been transferred there may be nothing left in the original business to sue.

It called the move to shield the airline a "despicable act of irresponsibility and cowardice".

Lawyers for the relatives have also complained that new rules have made it more difficult to pursue claims.

But Mr Liow told the New York Times the restructuring would not affect any compensation awarded to the relatives of passengers and crew because the airline's insurance company would cover the cost.

Many relatives have rushed to file claims before a statutory two-year deadline on Tuesday.

An Australian-based woman, Jennifer Chong, whose husband Chong Ling Tan was on the flight, filed a claim in Australia last week, alleging the airline was negligent in failing to ensure passengers' safety.

In February, a Malaysian woman K. Sri Devi, filed a claim seeking $US7.6 million ($10 million) in damages for the loss of her husband S. Puspanathan on the flight, alleging negligence and breach of contract by the airline and government agencies.

More than 42 families have already accepted compensation.

Malaysia Airlines issued a statement last week reiterating its "continued commitment to uphold all its obligations".

Despite a search costing $180 million the only piece of wreckage confirmed to be from MH370 was found on a beach on France's Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean in July 2015.

The Australian Transport Safety Board said the discovery fitted with estimates of where wreckage from the plane could have drifted if it crashed in the search area.

Martin Dolan, of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who is heading the search, told Fairfax Media in late February that, with three-quarters of the search area completed, he remained optimistic the plane would be found.

"We are not at the stage where we are throwing in the towel by any means," he said.

"But governments have put a limit on the search they are willing for us to undertake."

The Malaysian government has announced that, unlike on last year's anniversary, it will not host a commemorative service for the relatives of the passengers and crew members on Tuesday.